LSOC Meeting
September 14, 2009
3:30 p.m. Cardinal Room UC 214
Present: Tracy Zontek, Brent Kinser, Peter Nieckarz, Steve Baxley, Alex Macaulay, Robert
Mulligan, Chip Ferguson, Carol Burton, Gayle Wells, Shannon Thompson
Guests: Niall Michelsen, Beverly Collins
Recorder: Melody Huitt
Minutes
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Minutes from the August 31st LSOC meeting were approved.
Peter opened the meeting by welcoming Shannon Thompson (School of Music) to the
committee.
Carol distributed enrollment data on Liberal Studies offerings for Fall 2009. This data
showed how many seats were available and how many actual seats were filled. She
commented on all the planning from the advising center and the associate deans and
department heads which really helped to accommodate course scheduling. Some ongoing
concerns for next semester will be distance learning Liberal Studies and how many First
Year Seminar and English 101/102 classes will be needed.
Carol will request OIRP (Office for Institutional Research and Planning) to provide data
on liberal studies courses and their frequency of offerings for the past five years. LSOC
will track course offerings so that courses which are no longer taught for liberal studies
will be removed from the check sheet.
Peter introduced Beverly Collins who attended the meeting to discuss the English/
Biology 371 proposal, a dual-listed course being proposed in P4, Humanities. The voting
on this proposal will occur next week.
The General Education Review has been suspended by Chancellor Bardo based on
information from the board of Governors. Ongoing assessment of the Liberal Studies
Program was discussed. The rolling assessment is an expectation of SACS so Carol
recommended the committee meet with Melissa Wargo as she is responsible for SACS
compliance. Assessments should be pulled together for review. Glenda Hensley is doing
an assessment of the First Year Seminar as part of her role as Coordinator of First Year
Experiences.
Peter raised the ongoing discussion about the Honors Path, the Honors College’s proposal
for a separate Liberal Studies program. Peter asked each member to e-mail their concerns
and opinions on this topic and the committee will have a discussion on this next week.
Currently, the process for approval of the Honors Path is being determined by the Provost
with input from LSOC, APRC, and others.
Peter opened discussion on LSOC meeting every week. The committee decided to meet
when there were agenda items to discuss and a weekly decision would be made on
preceding Wednesdays by 5:00 p.m. if the committee will meet the following Monday.
There was no other new or old business.
The meeting adjourned at 4:40p.m.